Mayo photographers successful in press photographer awards ceremony

TWO Mayo photographers were celebrating over the weekend when their photographs scooped top awards at the AIB Press Photographer of the Year Awards.

Westport-based photographers, Michael McLaughlin and Conor McKeown both enjoyed success at the AIB Press Photographer of the Year Award 2025, which took place in Dublin last Friday night.

Michael won first prize in the Portrait category for his image ‘Forging Friendships’ while Conor picked up first prize in the Nature and the Environment category for his image ‘Feeling Blue'.

Michael McLaughlin with his award at the AIB Press Photographer of the Year Awards

Michael McLaughlin's photograph featured Ben Burke, master blacksmith from Foxford who works his travelling forge with ‘Penny’, his partridge Pekin Bantam, perched on the anvil.

Commenting on the photo, the judges said, “A beautifully lit and composed portrait of master blacksmith Ben Burke from Foxford, Co Mayo, with ‘Penny’ his partridge Pekin Bantam.”

READ: Got a local wedding picture or landscape shot? Send it to the Mayo Camera Club!

Conor's photograph Feeling Blue captured a swimmer braving the elements at The Point, Westport with the snow covered Croagh Patrick in the background. On this the judges said, “This stunning West of Ireland scene is captured with perfect timing as a swimmer braves the freezing waters at The Point, Westport, with a snowy Croagh Patrick in the background.”

The annual awards, now in their 47th year, recognise press photographers from around Ireland with a collection of 110 images that tell the story of 2024 in pictures.

Hosted by broadcaster Miriam O'Callaghan and organised by Press Photographers Ireland CLG, the glittering ceremony was held at the UCD O'Reilly Hall where Minister Jack Chambers was on hand to present the overall winning trophy to world renowned sports photographer James Crombie (Inpho Photography) who won the coveted AIB Press Photographer of the Year trophy for the third time at a ceremony.

Awards were presented across eleven distinct categories – News, Daily Life and People, Sports Action, Sports Feature, Portrait, Nature and the Environment, Politics, Arts and Entertainment, Reportage, Multimedia and the newly launched Public Relations category in addition to the AIB Sustainability Award and two new stand-alone special awards, Irish Country Life and Best Use of Technology.

There was more Mayo success when the first place winner of the Multimedia Award was The Irish Times photographer and video maker Bryan O’Brien for his short film ‘A Good Dog is Everything’, based on Paul Walker, a sheepdog trainer and shepherd based in Newport.

The judging panel was again led by former picture editor of The Irish Times, Frank Miller alongside this year’s two judges Kate Horgan, photographer and one of the curators of the PPI Life Under Covid Collection and Shaun Botterill of Getty Images. Journalist Philip Bromwell and former RTÉ cameraman Michael Lee led the judging of the Multimedia category.